The Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias attended today, Saturday 17 January 2026, the presentation of the book “Ιστορίες από τη Λατινική Αμερική: Από τον Πινοσέτ και τον Εσκομπάρ στις Σύγχρονες Δημοκρατίες (Stories from Latin America: From Pinochet to Escobar and the Modern Republics)” by Iasonas Pipinis (“KEDROS” publications), in the events hall of “Public” store at Syntagma Square.
During his address, Mr Dendias, who has contributed the book’s prologue, stated:
“I have already expressed my view on this book in writing. That is the truth of the matter. I read this book, as Mr Pipinis already knows, with particular interest and I can unreservedly suggest that you read it, not as a publisher, but as one who has actually enjoyed it. It is a very pleasant read.
It is not a historical essay. It is not a journalistic approach, however, it brings us into contact with a continent and with issues and basic questions which, I think, are much closer to us than what we believe. Human rights, Democracy, dictatorship, drugs, crime, the control of political life by crime, with characters perhaps larger than life. I think it is something that will stir the reader’s interest.
Furthermore, I would like to underline that Greece is much closer to South America than what we believe. Moreover, I brought a written proof to convince you of that. This is the magnified card of a law office in Paraguay: “Estudio Dendia”. The name is not simply a lucky occurrence. There was a “Dendias” from Corfu, who left with his family in 1870. He has an absolute sense of national conscience. His name is Mainu Dendia and I met him when I visited Paraguay.
We are much closer than what we think. There is an intense entrepreneurial Greek presence there, since the late Onassis who made his first steps in Argentina, from the current presence of Tsakos in Uruguay, from the control by Greek ship-owner companies of river commerce, which is completely unknown to us. We are present in Latin America. It is also immensely interesting in terms of culture. I also wish to say that Iason Pipinis is the man who convinced me, as Foreign Minister, to go to Latin America. I went to six countries. I have to tell you that no Greek Minister had gone to five of these six countries before. No Foreign Minister, no Greek Minister.
Therefore, this book is an introduction, for the Greek society and for us in the political world, to a very interesting world, which I think we cannot ignore.
Geopolitically if you will, solely due to the huge expanse it covers, its wealth-producing sources and its proximity to Antarctica, we have sufficient reasons to engage with Latin America.
Beyond the “experiments” which are also interesting for the political life of the Old Continent, from where many cultural elements were communicated, which we observe today in Latin America.
Two final points. The analysis about Augusto Pinochet is very interesting. Perhaps the dictator of Chile is not significant enough for the current generations, but for my generation, Allende’s overthrow and Pinochet’s dictatorship meant absolute cruelty and many other things – Iason analyses “Operation Condor” and the thousands of its victims.
I suggest to those who have a bit of free time, to go on YouTube and listen in Spanish – it is easy for one to understand what he says, Spanish is an accessible language, even to someone who does not speak it – Allende’s final radio transmission, knowing that he would die, where he addresses the people of Chile, regarding how he perceived their future.
The other thing I would like to say, in conclusion, is that reading this book, one observes many important human efforts and how they finally failed to achieve something of significance, with the countries still steeped in problems.
I remember – most of us go often to London – that next to Manchester Square, right above Oxford Street, there is a sign on a house, which for some years was the residence of Bolivar, when he was in exile. I always remember, when crossing that street, one of his final phrases to one of his favourite generals – his name was Flores. He told him, word-for-word: “Those who have served the revolution have ploughed the sea”, to acknowledge the futility of the endeavour.
Sometimes, when I talk to myself in the mirror, I say: let us hope that those of us who engage in politics in Greece, will not say the same thing at some point, that we “ploughed the sea”.
However, it is certain that the book did not “plough the sea”. It provides services to whomever wishes to understand a particularly interesting and fascinating continent. Therefore, I think that what I would like to say, in conclusion, is good luck to the book and to kindly ask the author to continue enriching and engaging with the Greek publishing system, with more approaches to this particularly interesting continent.
Thank you very much”.
Apart from the Minister of National Defence, the following individuals also talked about the book: the author and the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor on Latin America issues Iason Pipinis, the journalist Stavros Theodorakis and the Professor and Dean of the School of Philosophy of the Athens National Kapodistrian University Dimitris Drosos. The talk was moderated by the journalist Mina Varsou.
Other attendees were: the MP Sofia Voultepsi, the Archimandrite, University Professor and Secretary of the Holy Synod Athinagoras Soupourtzis, as representative of the Archbishop of Athens and All of Greece Mr Ieronymos, the Mayor of Lemnos Eleonora Georga, the Ambassadors of Mexico, Peru and Chile, a representative of the diplomatic Authority of Ecuador, Greek Ambassadors in Latin America, University Professors, representatives of Latin American communities in Athens and Greek communities in Latin America, as well as other guests.
